The First 12 Days of Parenthood

Well, It’s time to change my bio. My newest baby is here. I will tell my birth story a little later (full of amazing feats of science and medicine bringing us both safely through the process). First, I would like to share a little song my spouse and I wrote together, commemorating the first 12 days of parenthood, Grounded Parents’ style. Please sing to the tune of 12 days of Christmas. What? You don’t want to sing? It’s impossible not to, now that you’ve gotten it in your head. Besides, it may come in handy the next time you are desperately trying to remember the words to a “normal” lullaby and end up singing Bob Marley or Nine Inch Nails to your baby. If you get through the whole thing I will post something amazing at the end.

12 Days of Parenthood

On the first day of parenthood
my true love said to me:
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the second day of parenthood
my true love said to me:
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the third day of parenthood
my true love said to me:
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the fourth day of parenthood
my true love said to me:
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the fifth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the sixth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the seventh day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fucks sake,
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the eighth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Is this poop normal?
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the ninth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Why won’t he sleep?
Is this poop normal?
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the tenth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
Honey, get some rest.
Why won’t he sleep?
Is this poop normal?
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the eleventh day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
It’s your turn to get up.
Honey, get some rest.
Why won’t he sleep?
Is this poop normal?
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

On the twelfth day of parenthood
My true love said to me:
We are still alive!
It’s your turn to get up.
Honey, get some rest.
Why won’t he sleep?
Is this poop normal?
Why don’t you take a shower?
Is she still breathing?
Please stop obsessing!
For fuck’s sake.
He’s so cute.
Feed everyone,
Stay alive, and try to stay sane.

Steph

Steph recently traded single parenthood to two awesome kids (3 and 7) for marriage to a great guy with two awesome kids (5 and 10). Their adventures in parenting are set in a tiny town in the middle of a corn field. Their newest edition is due in February 2017. In late 2015 she left her stressful, more than full-time job with a victim services agency to pursue writing and activism. When she's not busy writing, chasing kids around, cleaning up messes and engaging in social justice warfare, Steph enjoys snuggling, making pies, engaging in debates on the internet, yoga, and fitness. A recovered natural parent, Steph now considers herself a semi-crunchy peaceful parent and trusts science, evidence and common sense to lead the way. She has been actively involved in the reproductive and women's rights movements for more than 20 years and is a passionate pro-choice feminist.